Hey Girl

Ummmm, I wasn't going to post about this here.....but now I've decided that I must. 

I'm not usually one for celebrity crushes and such, but I've been open with Scott and I don't think he'll mind if I just go ahead and do you all a little favor......

My obsession with Ryan Gosling started with pinterest. 

I know that you've all seen the "Hey Girl" photos, right? 

Right?!

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Because they're amazing. They make me swoon, and then giggle.

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The other day, I stumbled across the motherload, and I tell you, I almost lost it, y'all.

I was having a crappy, crappy day. But when I found this site here, I kept going back to it. Wouldn't you know it, my day started to turn right around! I would read these over and over, and it he quickly turned my frown upside down. The ones on this particular blog are centered around crafty/nerdy/etsy stuff and I felt like there are actually other people out there who really, truly get me......one of those being Ryan Gosling, obviously.

I actually laughed so hard my stomach hurt that night. I kept showing them to Scott from my phone and making him read them. He'd give a little smirk while I busted out the snort-laugh. Poor guy. 

He knew I was having a rough day. I'm sure he was happy just to see me laughing. But, his night was about to get a little worse......

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My mood lightened and I shrugged off my bad day. Scott asked if I would like him to bathe the toddler or go fill up my car with gas. Let me stop right there because this man? Knows how to make me weak in the knees. Both of his ideas were super sweet and thoughtful, and would save me time and it was just a nice gesture all around. Instead of picking one of his generous options, I showed him this:

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and asked, "what would Ryan say?"

I only kept a straight face for about .5 second, and then I lost it. Scott didn't even crack a smile.

Poor guy. I should probably promise never to say that again.......

Then I was thinking, I wonder if Ryan Gosling knows not only how much the ladies of America love him, but that we also love how caring and sensitive he is......I mean, it's not the images that win us over, but the sentiments that go with them, am I right?!

The original site (I suppose, there's lots of them out there) for these temptingly funny pictures is linked here. The name is inappropriate, so I normally wouldn't share it with you all, but I want to give credit where credit is due. There are some pretty hilarious ones on there, too.

And in case you were also wondering if Ryan knows about how much we love him, then there's this too:

Sorry hubs. I love you!

Wordless Wednesday: Random

So, this post might be a little all over the place. I have a million ideas swirling around in my head, and none of them quite fit on the "schedule" that I have planned out for my blog this week. 

So, Wordless Wednesday seems like the best place to vomit my thoughts and photos all over. 

Sounds lovely, huh?

Well, here we go.......

1. I listed some new items in my Etsy shop yesterday. I've had these ideas for a while now, but I just got around to photographing and listing them. 

I added a new package deal, so that you can order essentially everything you need to decorate your party. I'm excited about that one, since I've made them for a few friends already......I can't wait to make some more!

Second are these Mustache Straw Huggers. Seriously, I can't believe something so simple could be so silly and fun! I've already sold one set since listing them yesterday......I think they're so fun!

2. I was working on a little something for Ellie's Valentine's, and I got this photo. I call it a "happy accident". 

I have really, really been working on my photography lately, 

but I can tell you that this particular pose and mood were not planned at all.

 I did get some other great shots that I took intentionally, but I can't share those with you just yet ;) 

This one, however, I love......regardless of how it was captured. So, I'm showing it off!

3. And finally, I wanted to give a little shout-out to my wonderful sponsors! I've been doing an ad swap for a few months now, and I have really loved connecting with all of the talented, sweet, and caring ladies whose buttons you see over there -------> on the right.I've made new friends and kept some old ones, and I'm so grateful for their continued support. So please, pay each of those ladies a visit! And, if you'd like to sponsor Pretty Little Life in February or in future months, please contact me or visit the "sponsors" page for more details. 

Happy Wednesday, y'all!
Linking up with And then, She Snapped, Jenni From the Blog, Live and Love Outloud, and Naptime Momtog

Tag......you're it!

Thanks to Mandy for tagging me!

I never do these sorts of things.....but they really are fun!

Plus, I've got writer's block right now and have nothing planned for this little blog

this week.....sad, I know.

But, here's a fun little game that will maybe get my creative juices flowing.

Here's the rules:

1. You must post these rules.
2. Each per­son must post 11 things about them­selves on their blog.
3. Answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post, and cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 peo­ple to tag and link them on the post.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.
6. No tag backs.
7. No stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ You legit­i­mately have to tag 11 people.

11 Things About Me:

1. I have one older brother, we are two years apart in age.

2. Growing up, I was obsessed with horses. Actually, I'm still a little obsessed with them.

3. I always thought that I would be a teacher when I was growing up, but now I could never see myself doing that.

4. I majored in speech and hearing sciences in college, but now I can't picture myself using that degree....hhmmmmm

5. I have a major sweet tooth

6. I don't have a favorite color but reds, greens, and pinks top my list

7. The last five cars that I've owned have been Mazdas

8. I'm 27 years old and I've gone through seven cars!! Ooops!

9. I have a bumble bee tattoo on my left wrist and I'm itching to get another tattoo

10. I have hazel eyes that change color depending on the light and my mood......just like my mom ;)

11. My dream is to be a stay at home mom some day (until my kids are all in school)

Questions from Mandy at A Sorta Fairytale:

1. What was the best thing that happened to you this year?

Reconnecting with old friends

 

2. What is your #1 pet peeve?

Chewing sounds. I absolutely cannot stand hearing someone else eat. Obviously, talking with a mouth full of food goes right along with that.

3. What's your favorite place to vacation?

Honestly, I would love a typical vacation someplace warm and beachy like Hawaii, but I've never been! I really love Disneyland though. I could visit every year and not get sick of it.

4. Favorite place to eat?

Red Robin or Cristiano's (a little hole-in-the-wall with the best caesar salad ever)

5. Who truly inspires you both in your own life and someone you've never met?

My mom truly inspires me.....she's my best friend and I aspire to care about others the way she does. I can't think of anyone that I've never met that inspires me the way my close friends and family do.

6. Best and worst movie you have ever seen?

Elf is hands down the best movie I've ever seen (although, the fact that it's Christmas time might have something to do with that answer). Drop Dead Gorgeous is also one of my favorites, but could also be classified as the worst. If you've seen it, then you know why!

7. What is your guilty pleasure?

Mocha Frappe from McDonald's. I tell myself it's like any other coffee drink, but let's face it: it's a milkshake in a coffe cup disguise.

8. Describe your dream home?

Hmmmm my dream home would start with a window seat (I've always wanted one!) and would have nice plush carpets and large bedrooms. I would also love a yard that's pretty to look at, but is flat and square with minimal upkeep :)

9. If you could switch places with any blogger friend for a day, who would it be?

I would probably switch places with Mrs. Stephanie T. I would love to meet cute little Hallie, try on all of Stephanie's adorable clothes, and hang out in Cali for a day. Okay now that just sounds creepy, but you get what I mean!

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yes and no. I think there's more to it than just looks, but I do think it can happen. Hey, I married my high school sweetheart after years of being apart......you can find a love story just about anywhere ;)

 

11. If you could go back in time to witness any historical event, what would it be?
Oh goodness, these questions are always so hard! I definitely would love to witness biblical times.....but old or new testament? I just couldn't choose!

Now, some questions for the 11 people that I will tag:

1. What is your favorite food?

2. Favorite nail polish color?

3. What is one hidden talent that you have?

4. Hot chocolate or apple cider?

5. What is your favorite childhood memory?

6. If you celebrate Christmas, are the gifts from Santa or from you?

7. If you could live anywhere other than where you live now, where would it be?

8. What would you say is your all-time favorite TV show (past or present)

9. How many books do you read a year?

10. What would you say is your best quality?

11. What is your biggest fear?

Now it's your turn! I am tagging these lovely ladies:

Wendy

Melissa

Amanda L

Christa

Courtney

Christie

Amanda G

Chelsea

Carmela

Barbara

Tag.....you're it!!

Wordless Wednesday: Fun with Friends

This weekend I had a fun night in with some friends.....I'll tell you more about it (and what we ate!!) next week. For now, I think you can guess that we probably had fun:

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Looks like fun, right?! I love these ladies, and am thankful for all of the fun times we have together!

(oh and, a shameless plug for my Etsy shop. You can buy these Christmas photobooth props here.)

Linking up with Jenni from the Blog, Naptime Momtog, The Paper Mama, and Live and Love Outloud.

Happy Wednesday!

Let's Be Real

I mentioned last week that I was feeling down. 

Thankful, but a little down in the dumps. 

It wasn't for attention, I was just being honest. 

And, I said that I was going to put my feelings out there to get them off my chest, so that's what this is. 

It's not meant to be depressing or attention-seeking......really it's for myself. I want to write about how I'm feeling so that I can make sense of my thoughts and emotions, and hopefully come out in the end with some closure or maybe a sense of peace. I have no direction or plan for this post, so hang on tight ;)

Depression, anxiety, and other mental health ailments plague my family. I try to be aware of my own tendencies so that I can do my best to rise above and continue to be me. I know all too well (both from work and personal experience) what these ailments can do to a person. I thank God that most of the time I am aware of my mental state.....I can "catch" things before they get me too off track. I'm also thankful for family and friends.....often times they are the ones to notice a change in me. A gentle nudge is usually all it takes to get me back.

Fall and Winter are when I can usually feel myself sink into a slump. I generally like the dreary PNW weather, but at the same time, the continually-grey skies and rain and gloom can really do a number on a person. This kind of weather (and lack of sunlight) makes it so nice to cozy up inside the house and just be....."cozy". But, being cozy and cooped up can also lead to sadness, loneliness, and a little OCD for me. My mind races about all the things I "should" be doing......and sometimes I drive myself a little nuts!

This year, the blues caught me off guard. I haven't had to deal with them for a few years (I think), so I guess I just wasn't expecting it. Also, I think I had many more catalysts this year. Just as the weather here was turning sour, my emotions and mental capacity were all focused on a few very intense topics: money (or lack there of), expanding our family (the prospect of), and direction and purpose in life (for both me and Scott). I seemed to constantly be thinking of these three subjects throughout the day, in one form or another, until they ultimately consumed my thoughts. 

Days pass where I simply cannot focus on mopping the floors, because I'm too stressed out about how we are going to pay our bills. In turn, the dirty floors are begging to be mopped, and my inability to complete simple household tasks makes me feel insignificant as a wife and mother. It's funny how quickly a simple task like mopping the kitchen floor can be turned into something much bigger, right? Add to all this that Christmas is quickly approaching, and my mood hit the bottom of the canyon. 

Also? My patience flew out the window. I find myself snapping at my husband and daughter.......it's ugly. 

I think that's the part I hate the most about myself right  now......my impatience. 

I know that our financial situation will improve soon. But the term "soon" is relative. I mean, Scott will be done with school in six months, but right now that seems like an eternity! I'm trying to stay calm. We've been able to pay our bills so far, and we've worked out a plan for Christmas gifts that I'm comfortable with (I hate not being able to give gifts, so it was important to me to factor that into our budget no matter how hard it might seem)......we will get through this! I just pray for some self-control for myself when it comes to money......I know that I would be less stressed if I spent less......I just need to make that happen.

Then there's the whole "expanding our family" business. Plain and simple: I WANT A BABY! It's clear as day to me, and my body screams for it daily. It's just the next step for me (and hopefully my family). BUT, Scott has reservations. Not about the idea of having another baby, but about the timing. 

If I am being honest, he's right. 

Right now is just not a good time to be adding to our family (see paragraph above). The money we do have would only seem like even less if we add another mouth to feed to this already-too-small house. 

I am willing to make the sacrifices it would take to have another little one right now, but I guess it's fair if Scott isn't. I mean, it sucks.....but it's fair. 

He's being reasonable and wants to wait. Wait until he graduates, gets a job, and we all have good insurance. Fair enough. But, it's just not what my heart and head are telling me. 

Finally, there's an idea I've been stuck on for months (20 months, to be exact). I had a hard time going back to work after I had Ellie. I never wanted to be a working mom. I always dreamed that I would stay at home with my children until they were in school. I knew throughout my pregnancy that I would have to go back to work. I'm so thankful that I've been able to go back to work for only part time. It took a while, but I finally got used to leaving Ellie for 20 hours each week. It's not fun, and I still hate leaving her......wondering what she's doing and if she said any new words while I was away. But, it's definitely gotten easier. 

The one thing that has not gotten easier is finding my identity. And, after being back at work for 20 months, I still feel like I'm neither a "working mom" or a "full time mom". I'm caught in the middle. 

There are good parts about being caught in the middle, like the fact that I can relate to both my working mom friends, and my stay at home mom friends. But for the most part, it's just confusing for me.

 I crave to have an identity that I can throw myself at whole-heartedly. 

I mean, obviously I take being a mom very serious. Ellie is my whole world, and I simply count down the hours as they pass while I'm at work. But being a stay at home mom would be completely different. I feel like my time at home with Ellie is spent somewhat distracted. I'm constantly reminded of the fact that I'm not a "full time mom", and that hurts. 

I know that Ellie doesn't know the difference, and she's not any worse off for it.......but still.

So there it is, laid all out for the world to see. 

I feel better after the long weekend I had with my family and some close friends. For people to ask if I was okay meant a lot to me. To be able to admit that I'm feeling down and there's really nothing anyone can do about it.......felt freeing. To write this all out and compartmentalize my "problems" (how OCD of me) feels even better. Just admitting what's bugging me somehow makes my burdens seem lighter. I really have no answers or solutions, and tomorrow might be darker than today was.......but I'm here, I'm aware, and I'm determined to make my life as good as I want it to be.

This is the way we brush our teeth......

Brush our teeth, brush our teeth! This is the way we brush our teeth, so early in the morning!

You all know that song, right?!

Well, Ellie thought she'd give you a run-down on how momma gets ready every morning. She's like a mini-me, and has to be doing everything I do! I've given her old toothbrushes and empy make-up packaging, and don't worry, she only gets the blowdryer when it's unplugged ;)

It's imperative to make the "psssshhhhh" sound while blowdrying your hair.

Tomorrow morning this little family is taking off on a vacation!! We haven't had a vacation since our Honeymoon, and well, that means that we've never taken a vacation as a family of three! I'm excited to hop on a plane and head to sunny Florida for a few days, and I can't wait to tell you all about it next week! Until then, I've got a few awesome guest bloggers filling in for me.....so stay tuned! And have a great weekend!!

Under Construction

Hey Guys!

So, things are going to be a little quiet around here this weekend.

I'm working on a little re-design on this here blog.

I'm muddling through and trying to figure it out myself....so it might take a while!

Do you have any great tips or tricks you've learned from designing your blog yourself? Links to awesome tutorials? Please leave a comment and let me know! ;)

While I'm moving things around and making this place pretty, I'm also making room to start offering ad space! Like I mentioned earlier this month, I'm going to be doing ad swapping.

This means that you get an ad right there ---------->

in exchange for my ad on your blog!

It's that simple! (and cheap!) So, get your ads/pictures/buttons ready!

 I will need a 150x150 ad from you if you'd like to participate, and if you need anymore details than that, please let me know! The ads will go up starting November 1st, so this is just a little reminder.

I hope that you are all having a lovely weekend!

Too Tired

I had some really lovely posts planned for today and tomorrow, but they're going to have to wait.

I'm just too tired. I have a headache, and I actually think it's from lack of sleep!

 Don't worry too much about me, though.

This lack of sleep is because there is SO much good stuff going on in my life right now!

I only wish that there were more hours in a day so that I could accomplish everything on my to do list, be "present" and live in the moment with my daughter and husband, AND get a good night's sleep.

Oh well, sleep will always be there I suppose.

Here's just a teaser of the fun stuff coming up........

Pumpkin' Patchin'

Tutus and pigtails!

Oh, and an internet friend of mine, Wendy, inspired me the other day. She posted on Twitter that she's going to attempt to comment on every single blog post that she reads for the next month. I really really love her idea, and I think I'm going to try it, too! I mean, I read tons and tons of blog posts each day, but I don't always have time to comment on them. That is about to change! So, watch out!

I'm off to hopefully catch some Zzzzs! Night!

What's New?!

Phew!

Elliott and I just got back from a four day camping adventure with my family.

We came home just in time to see Scott who has been away for TWO WEEKS!

This is the one thing I didn't feel like I could talk about here, because, well, what if some crazy posessed reader of mine actually found out where I lived and could, like, stalk me while Scott was away or something?!?!

I know, none of you are crazy like that, but I still didn't feel like blasting it all over the interwebz.

But, now that Scott is home, I can :)

He had to go to two weeks of training for the National Guard, leaving me and Ellie to fend for ourselves. We survived just fine, but I think towards the end of last week it was wearing on both of us.

So heading into a camping trip probably wasn't the best idea. But we survived that, too.

I'll recap our camping adventures tomorrow. Today I just want to get out some thoughts that are in my head. Some things that have probably been keeping me from really blogging lately........

~I really, really missed my husband the last two weeks. As busy as he is with working full time and going to school full time, it really is different when he's here.

~Ellie really, really missed her daddy the last two weeks. That, or she's teething. Or she's coming down with the chickenpox. Or, or......a combination of all of the above. Needless to say, she's been a peach to hang out with. Kidding.

~I cannot wait for my husband to graduate. He has one year left of school, and I am counting down the days!! I feel like our life can really "begin" once he's out of school.

~I wish we could win the lottery. Or something. I know, I'd have to actually buy a ticket first. But sometimes I really miss the good ol' days when I could shop for whatever I want, whenever I wanted to. The days when Scott and I could actually afford to buy each other gifts for birthdays and anniversaries or take fun trips.

~I really wish I was creative enough to think of fun things to do without spending tons of money (that we don't have anyway)

~Scott is getting out of the Military for good in September. I know it's a good thing, but it has always been a source of security for us. Okay, it's always been a nuisance, but sometimes it provided security, you know?

~I really, really wish I could be a stay-at-home-mom. I don't know why, but it's hitting me hard lately! Summertime is hard for us in the childcare department, and paying for childcare is always hard. If somehow I could just find a way to be paid to stay at home with my daughter......

~Did I mention Ellie has been a peach lately?! I really, really hope this nap lasts three hours or something.

~I pretty much suck at dieting. I'm trying, and I'm also trying to stay positive. But I looooove food! I know that I need to let myself have breaks every once in a while, but those breaks often turn into 3-4 day junk-food binges. I seriously wish I had some self control!

~I really wish that we could afford a maid service. Today. My house is a disaster and I don't even know where to start! I'll probably just avoid it for another week, hoping it will just clean itself! Ha!

Okay, I seriously didn't mean for this to turn into one big long rant. Sorry.

I just have a lot on my mind and if I can't be honest here, where can I be?! I know that life isn't always rainbows and cupcakes......but wouldn't a cupcake taste really, really good right about now?!

Don't Look Back

Recently, Elliott learned to throw a ball.

The problem is, she throws the ball......behind her back!

Seriously, this kept me entertained (and ROFL-ing) for quite a while.

She was so serious about winding up her arm, and moving it forward across her body, not realizing that the ball left her hand much too soon and went flying behind her.

Still, she got such a reaction out of her audience that she was just so pleased with herself.

And she indulged us in encore after encore.

Silly girl.

I suck at blogging this week. Can we get a vote, anyway?!

Is It Monday Already?!

Seriously, this weekend went by SO fast! And to top it off, I'm working five days this week.

I know, I know, I should NOT complain about this.....but I'm a little spoiled with my 3-day-a-week schedule! Really, it's just a couple more hours than I normally work, so I know that I'll be fine. But I do have less time at home to get things done like laundry (currently stacked all over the couch) and blogging (I totally missed all my fun weekend posts like iPhone Pics and Steppin' Out).

So, here's just a couple random things that I'd like to put out there....in bullet form :)

**Check out my giveaway going on now at The Paper Mama!! Win a custom banner or crown from my shop, Prettiest Littles!**

**Please click on the blue bar on the right to "follow" this little blog :) That way you won't ever miss an important post!**

**You can follow me on Twitter here. I've debated even doing this for a long time.....I've been lurking on Twitter for a while now, and it seems like fun! So follow me....and I'll follow you!**

**Please, for the love of Tom, please please change your blogger settings (if you use blogger) so that others can reply to your comments in email form. Mandy from A Sorta Fairytale did all the work for me, and she really says it best! So visit this link, and then we can all get to replying-to-comments-in-email-form :) mmmmkay?!**

To tide you over until I can manage a REAL post, how about a couple cell phone pics from last week?

 Matchy-matchy.....this one was totally unplanned.

 Saving space at the park.

 Seriously.

 Carazy hair!

 Interesting way to eat mac 'n cheese.....

 Mmmmm for mmmeeeee?!?!

 Big ol' pile of dirty shoes.....all being donated after the Warrior Dash!

Ready to brave the warrior dash!

**And finally, can we get a vote today?! Thanks!!**